Genesis. History of the Jews and Covenants date back to Old Testament times, which is recent, given the history of man's appearance on the earth? What is the salvation status of those who lived thousands of years before the Bible history narative?

One of my students was born into a catholic family but changed to the jewish religion when she married. We often have group discussions and she asked me how God could have allowed His highest order of creation on earth, Man, to be flawed with the ensuing tragic consequences. How could an omnipotent and merciful Creator allow this? Mention Mystery and she will say this is a cop out.

Finally, John the Baptist sent a message from prison asking if Jesus was the One promised. Were they not cousins and contemporaries? Did they not know each other? Reference the beautiful Canticle of Zechariah.

Answer by Fr. John Echert on 12-12-2012:

The short answer as to why God allowed: Free Will. Will that is constrained is not free. God did not create a flawed human being or flawed angels. In their perfection he created them with free will, and the exercise thereof. When put to the test, some angels fell and so too our first parents, not by some flawed nature but by rebellion against our Creator. However, God trumps evil with good, chief of which is the Original Sin occasioned the Incarnation, meaning that God joined Himself to human nature inseparably. I am sorry that this student abandoned the true Faith for another religion, which religion does not accept the Incarnation of God, for which reason those who hold to this will not understand the "mystery" of sin and the mystery of redepmtion.